A race to infamy - documentary looks again at the 1988 Olympic sprint final

Filmmaker Daniel Gordon was wrapping up a final visit to Ben Johnson's home when he asked the disgraced sprinter one last question.

"We were packing everything up, having a coffee in his house with a crew and I was just like, 'Where are all your medals?' And he says, 'Oh, I keep them in my basement.' And I was like, 'What here?"'

Downstairs was a haphazard treasure trove of memorabilia. Scheduled to fly home the next day, the 39-year-old British director begged Johnson to let him film it. The resulting footage is some of the most memorable of Gordon's documentary 9.79.

The 50-year-old Johnson holds up a battered cardboard box full of medals and pulls out his bronze from the 1984 Olympics. Diving in again, he produces the twisted ribbon that goes with it.

Gordon's film is about the infamous 1988 100-metre final in Seoul, the story lines that led up to it and the men who took part. The 80-minute film made its debut last weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival.

While Gordon acknowledges 9.79 doesn't shed new light on the well-documented race, it is a polished, beautifully shot look at the Olympic final and its colourful characters - from the eight sprinters to the surrounding cast of coaches and doping experts.